Biye-Barir Showstopper – Rui Maacher Kalia

If you’re a Bengali or an Assamese, you have already attended at least one wedding serving a rich lustrous Rui Maacher Kalia on plastic square bowls to devour with Kaju-Kishmish Polao. When I was 10-11 years old, you know, that childhood phase, buffets rarely existed in small towns. In Tezpur, mostly there were catering services who’d have an army of caterers dressed in a uniform of white shirts and blue/black pants serving us the food. Attending wedding ceremonies meant coordinating pretty dresses with your numbered friends in the neighbourhood (secretly hoping to outnumber the others), a jittered stomach from all the excitement to meet friends outside school looking normal (without school uniforms), holding hands and dragging one another to manage seats together for the khabar-dabaar and displease the serving person to serve us all the peti piece.

I do not have to tell you the favouritism of Peti piece aka the stomach portion of the Rui/Katla. Fleshy, fatty and most importantly less bones – this is what got us romanticizing the peti since childhood. The best utilization of a peti can be a maach bhaja aka fried dish. Hands down! Now debate me, Sharon but I will fight you down (laughs). The best kind is the one which is freshly cut from the local fish market, had just before lunch (while anticipating for it) when Maa slids in a korkore (crispy) peti maach bhaja before the kalia preparation with a small bowl of rice while you are watching TV. A layer of crispy skin on top, a good fatty end that melts into your mouth in a bite, piping hot rice with the maach bhaja’r tel (the flavoured oil from the fish fry), a pinch of salt and one green chilly to take bites with every morsel. Now you know I am talking about.

It has been ages since I have attended a wedding. Staying away from home for 8 years now, attending weddings have now been a once-in-a-blue-moon affair. However, I decided to make a not-so-humble Rui Maacher Kalia for lunch today.

An oily, dark, rich, sweet and spicy preparation of Rui Maacher Kalia is all you need to transport you to the childhood memories of Bengali/Assamese weddings.

Ingredients:

1. Fish pieces (Katla/Rui): 500 gms
2. Onion: 2 nos. (Julienne)
3. Onion paste: 1 nos.
4. Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp
5. Green Chilly Paste: 2 tbsp (Optional, if you like more heat)
6. Red Chilly (Boiled and blended): 5 chilies nos. (I have used Mathania chilies, you can use any red chilly that gives colour)
7. Tomato: 1 nos. (Cubed)
8. Curd: 1/2 cup (Whisked until smooth)
9. Raisins: A handful (10-12)
10. Red chilly: 1 nos. (Dry)
11. Green Chilly: 5 nos.
12. Bay leaf: 1
13. Cloves: 3
14. Green Cardamon: 3 (lightly crushed)
15. Cinnamon: 1
16. Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp
17. Cumin powder: 1 tbsp
18. Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
19. Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder: 1 tbsp
20. Garam Masala Powder: 1 tbsp
21. Mustard oil: 1/2 cup
22. Sugar: 2 tsp
23. Salt to taste
24. Coriander: A handful (Optional, finely chopped)

Recipe:

1. Smear the fish pieces with turmeric and salt and keep it aside for 15 mins.
2. In a kadhai, fry them until they are golden in mustard oil. Be careful not to over fry them as we are using them in gravy and it has to stay slightly moist and juicy.
3. Keep the fried fish aside (eat one or two or all if you are tempted, I won’t judge).
4. In the same pan, temper with bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and a dry red chilly and let it sputter.
5. Add the sliced onions and sugar to crystallize the onions for a darker colour.
6. Add the onion-green chilli paste and let it cook for 2 mins. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is gone.
7. Add the dry masalas and cook them for 4 mins.
8. Add the tomato and let it melt. Cook everything till oil starts separating from the sides of the pan.
9. Add the red chilly paste, green chilies and mix everything together.
10. Let it cook with lid covered for 5-10 mins.
11. Stir in between to avoid burning.
12. Once cooked, add warm water, raisins salt and a pinch of sugar and mix everything well.
13. Gently place the fish pieces and let the gravy simmer for 5-10 mins depending on your choice of consistency.
14. Add a pinch of garam masala at last and give it a mix.
15. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with any steamed/ pulao rice preparation.

If you liked this recipe and want to see more of this mother-daughter duo, don’t forget to reach out to us at rannabaati00@gmail.com and our Instagram Handle @rannabaati by Oliva Das. We look forward to your requests and feedback!